If you are using a Body Media / Jawbone / Fitbit / Fuel Band

Device: Body Media Fit Link
Daily Average Burn: 2760
Workout schedule: Nia Shanks bodyweight workouts twice a week, kayaking up to 5 times a week for an hour each time, plus one day of a longer ride (from 2 to 3 hours duration)
Gender: Female
Age: 39
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 162

Is your weight/body composition trend indicating accuracy of the device? I've been eating 2000 calories a day since December, because back then my average daily burn was around 2500. When I first got the device I ate at that level and lost a couple of pounds. I've been in a serious plateau slump since then. Weight has fluctuated from 165 back down to 162 but doesn't move anywhere else. The kayaking is new since April and I'm naturally more active outside in the spring, summer, and fall. So I started eating at around 2500 calories per day last week (trying to focus on a 200 calorie a day deficit). Surprisingly, my weight didn't balloon. I still weigh 162. No change in measurements. But my energy level and sleep pattern are much better. Hopefully things will start to move downward - but in the meantime I'm enjoying the process.

Bumpity

Device: BodyMedia Link
Daily Average Burn: 2400 (This is down from about 2700 when I first started using BMF)
Workout schedule: 3 (sometimes 4) times a week doing a half hour video (like 30 dayShred or Supreme90Day) followed by a run of about 3-4 miles or less.
Gender Female
Age 45
Weight 157 currently. I started losing at 196 in late December.

Is your weight/body composition trend indicating accuracy of the device?
Yes, It has been working for me. I set a goal of weight loss of 1.5 pounds a week starting in mid January. My original goal was to get to 160 by the end of May. I did that and reached my goal date and weight, with an average loss of 1.54 pounds a week. Once I reached that goal I made a new goal of getting to 150 pounds by losing 1.0 pound a week.

I'm finding it a bit harder as time goes on because I burn much less calories at my new weight, but so far, so good. My current settings are 2200 calories burned and 1700 calories consumed. I find it difficult to reach the 2200 calories burned on the days I don't exercise.

I should probably mention that at least one day a week I eat around 2000 calories. Over the week I still will hit my average deficit. I've done this from the beginning.

Trends I've noticed for myself--- If I start a new exercise program, I'll gain or not lose for several days up to a couple of weeks and then I'll have a big weight loss. If I eat out and BMF complains to me about my sodium in take, I'll gain weight for a couple of days, then I'll have a big weight loss.

Wow, this was VERY helpful information. Thank you for all the details. This explains so much!

If you are using a device that measures all-day burn, could you please post the following?

Device: Body Media Link
Daily Average Burn: 2,250 (avg 1,750 intake) My fitbit is always ~10% lower, esp on lifting days
Workout schedule: Strength: 3X/wk & intervals, jogging, or bike riding 2-3x/wk. A lot of sitting during the day. I see my best burns on days with high NEAT
Gender: F
Age: 26
Weight: 184 (down from 222 in Jan)

Is your weight/body composition trend indicating accuracy of the device? When I was doing a higher deficit, I was losing slower. Since I bumped up my cals to a 500-700 cal/day deficit, my numbers have matched up a lot closer. Keep in mind I was on a VLCD for a couple months, and I haven't done a reset yet, so my metabolism could still be suppressed. body fat % down about 1% this month also.

Past month: Avg deficit= 500 cal/day, so 4 lbs calculated, and I have actually lost 3-4 lbs, depending on where I mark the weight since it varies +/- 1 day to day. Lesson learned: I lost LESS on a HIGHER deficit.

If you are using a device that measures all-day burn, could you please post the following?

Device: Fitbit Ultra
Daily Average Burn: Around 2100 a day
Workout schedule: Strength: 3X/wk, Jogging or cardio (interval) DVD 2x a week, walk to and from work M-F (about 40 min total)
Gender: F
Age: 42
Weight: 156
Height: 5'3

Is your weight/body composition trend indicating accuracy of the device? Yes I think so. I typically try to eat at a 17% deficit daily so around 1700 calories, but I've stalled out big time and am not really sure where to go from here... up closer to TDEE or down another 100 calories. Have to experiment.

Interesting

Device: Bodymedia Link
Daily Average Burn: 2806 (ranges from 1900-3700)
Workout schedule: Run and/or bike 5-6 times/week, free weights 2 days/week
Gender: Female
Age: 39
Weight: 155-ish

Is your weight/body composition trend indicating accuracy of the device?

Well, yes and no. I have been consuming an average of 500 calories less than the armband says I burn, but have maintained for the last 3 months (or as it's called on the forums-keep gaining and losing the same 5 lbs). But, my activity level (and daily burns) are so varied, that I do feel the device is accurately capturing that. I just think it's measuring 10-15% high for me. I do weigh & measure my food-although it's also possible that some of the discrepancy comes from my side (I eat the same things all the time-so if I'm messing up weighing/measuring, it will be consistent). So, yes, I think it's accurate as it does seem list calorie burns that correlate with my activity level, but the actual number seems a touch high for me. I have recently (in the last week) increased my deficit goal to 750-1000, so we shall see how that works.

Overall, I love my bodymedia armband and wouldn't consider giving it up. But like everything, I just need to find what works. I'm down to my last 10 or so lbs (maybe), so I expect these to be the most difficult to lose. It's just a matter of finding what IS a deficit, and one I can actually stick to. I consider the armband to be one tool in my arsenal, and a huge motivator to be more active in daily life (eg parking further from the store kind of stuff). The huge difference in overall daily burn isn't from "exercise" and workouts, it's from being more active in general daily activities. The armband really helps to see that and encourage that activity.